The Gravesavers

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are The Trouble with Liberty, Zee’s Way, and Chat Room.

Although better-known for her picture books, Sheree Fitch occasionally
turns her hand to young-adult novels, and this time the creation is The
Gravesavers. The title is alluring, the characters heartwarming, and the
story compelling. This is a book that begs to be read in one sitting
despite its 300–plus pages.

When her mother loses a baby close to term and then falls into a deep
depression, 12-year-old Minn is sent to spend a month of her summer
vacation in the tiny village of Boulder Basin, Nova Scotia, with her
paternal grandmother, a woman she detests and, she suspects, may feel
the same way about her. While she is there, she discovers a human skull
and learns it belongs to a baby who—along with over 560 other
people—died in a tragic shipwreck in 1873. Minn’s grandmother shows
her a stash of bones she has collected and tells Minn that the bones
have been washing ashore for years, because the mass grave they’ve
come from is eroding away. As Minn and her grandmother work together to
save the grave, a common bond is forged between them. The importance of
their cause is heightened by a parallel storyline focusing on adolescent
John Hindley, one of the few passengers to survive the wreck.

This coming-of-age novel links past and present, dabbles in the
mystical, embraces

family values, and examines the thoughts and emotions of a wonderful,
spirited young lady with a passion for life. Highly recommended.